Improvement in seed-planters



JOHN MILLER, 0F RUSSELLVILLE, KENTUCKY.

IMPRGVEM ENT ll'Nl SEE'IBPLANTRS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. llltqtliill, dated September 26, 1865.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN MILLER, of 'Russellville, in the county of Logan and State ot' Kentucky, have invented a new and useful lmprovement in Seed-Hamers; and l do hereby declare that ,the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part ot this specicution, in which- Figure l is a view in perspective ot' a seedplanter to which my improvement is attached. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through one of the openings in the seed-box; and Fig. 3 is alongitudinal central section throughV the reed-box, retaining-bristles, and feed-roller.

It is the object of my invention to sow seed broadcast or in drills, to harrow the ground before sowing, and cover the seed and roll the sown surface smooth by once passing the machine over the ground; and to this end my in'y vention consists in surrounding the openings from the feed-box with bristles and cutting them in a concave are to correspond with the arc ot the circumference ot' the feed-roller, so as to retain the seed securely on the roller until they are to be dropped, and to regulate the quantity delivered and also to so'arrange the feed-roller as thatwhen turningfbrward it. shall sow broadcast and when turning backward it shall deliver the seed through tubes in drills; und, besides, in the combination ot' a barrow, opening-hoes, drill-tubes, a coverer, and roller, so that the machine shall remove the stubble, scarify the ground, form the drill, deliver and cover the seed, and roll the ground smooth at one operation.

A suitable frame, A, is mounted on truckwheels B in front Iand supported on a roller, C, in the rear, and the trame is strengthened by across-piece, D, that serves to support a drivers seat, E, over the roller C.

Attached to the frame on its under side, and between the truck-wheels andthe openinglloes, a barrow, F, is placed, the teeth c o ot which project a short distance below the plane on which the truck-wheels and supporting-roller move, that theyF mayloosen the ground in front ot' the hoes and remove stubble or trash that might else obstruct the planting of the seed with regularity. i A

To the front of the outside timbers of the i frame rods a and a are pivoted by screws or bolts, and these rods support a covering block or bar, G, at their rear end, between the seedtubes and supporting-roller. A rod, b, is attached to the center of this covering-plate at its upper edge and passes through the piece D to within the reach of the driver, who can thus` at'pleasure raise the covering-plate to pass obstructions or when the planting may not require it; but wlieirtlieie are no obstructions before it, and it is desired to cover the seed before the ground is rolled, the driver, by depressing thcrotl, can bring the covering-plate into operatione ln the drawings this rod is 'shown as a wire; butit is obvious that it may be a toothed bar'passing over a spring-catch. to hold the covering-plate at any elevation desired.

A bar, H, on the under side ol' the frame supports the opening-hoes l d d d, and it is ob viens that these may be in the form of bull tongues or moldboard plows, it'preterred. The har El also carries guidingtubes c c e e, one directly behind each hoe or plow, that are formed large at their upper end and cover the rear portion ot' the feed-roller l, while they taper to the ground and deliver the seed in the turrow made by the hoe.

The feed-roller 'il/ is supported in suitable bearingsin the frame, and rotates directly over the seed-tubes. lt is rotated by a band, f, driven by a pulley, L, on the covering-roller, the band passing around a pulley, M, on the feed-roller K. it is obvious 'that these pulleys may have ehangegrooves to vary the relative speeds ofthe covering and feedrollers to adapt the machine to a variety of planting; or cogwheels may he substituted for the belt.

' On the frame and direetlyover the feed-roller K, l place the seed-box N, having pertorations g g g g placed centrally over the middle of the seed-tubes e e e e. rlhese openings are surrounded with a series ot tufts or bristles, 0, that form a close circle, and the lower ends ot' the bristles are eut in a concave arch to exactly match the perimeter ot` the feed-roller. rlhis roller has depressions h at determined intervals around i t, to receive theseed through the openings or perforations g in the feed-trough` and these depressions may have screws to vary the quantity of seed they can contain, for it is manifest that when the screws sunl; are deeply the openings will be enlarged and contain more seed, and when the screws are raised the openings will be smaller and contain less seed, of course.

Now, when the seed-wheat, for exampleis placed in the trough and the planter put in motion, with the pulleyband crossed, the seed will pass through theI perforationsin the bot,- tom of the box to the surface ot the feed-roller, where it will he retained by the bristles until one of the depressions of the rollerssecures its supply, when the continuous rotation ofthe feed-roller will pass the quantity each depression carries backward into the feeding-tubes, whence it will pass to the groundinto the furrow and be covered by the blade and rolled smoothly by the covering-roller.

When it is desired to sow broadcast the dri ving-band fxnust be uncrossed, and this will reverse the rotation of the feed-roller, and the seed will be thrown from it as they pass from under the bristles'without entering the tubes, and be covered and rolled as it'sown broadcast.

When it is desired to adjust the delivery ot' the seed more or less rapidly or in greateror less quantity, it is only necessary to let the `bristles press heavier orlighter upon the feedroller, and this may be effected merely by placing the feed-trough nearer to or farther from the feed-roller.

trough with bristles, arranged 'and operating. substantially in the manner set forth.

- 2. The combination of the feed-roller with the feed-tubes and bristled opening, for the purpose ot' sowing broadcast or in drills, substantiall y as described.

3. rlhe combination of the barrow, plows, seed-tubes, covering-bar, and smoothing-roller with the feed-roller and bristled seed-trough,

varranged and operating*substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

In vtestimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed rny naine. y

' i JOHN MILLER. Witnesses: x

FR. SCHNEIDER, Jos. I. PEY'roN. 

